Green Leaf Pet Resort and Hotel officials expect more than 1,000 people and their four-legged friends to gather on Green Leaf’s sprawling 56 acres right off of Burnt Tavern Road this Saturday.
by Charley Falkenburg, Special Writer
MILLSTONE — When Shelly Leibowitz was growing up in Brooklyn, he wasn’t allowed to have a pooch to call his own. So, he did the next best thing: he became his neighborhood’s dog walker.
Flash forward 40-plus years, several kennels and countless awards later, Mr. Leibowitz has gone from dog walker to master dog trainer who is about to celebrate another of his dreams come true: the second anniversary of The Green Leaf Pet Resort and Hotel.
”It all started with a little dream and it got bigger and just blossomed on us until we ended up with this,” said Mr. Leibowitz. “We wanted to do something that had the best quality and was the most comfortable for dogs and their owners.”
Mr. Leibowitz is expecting more than 1,000 people and their four-legged friends to gather on Green Leaf’s sprawling 56 acres right off of Burnt Tavern Road this Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will all kinds of entertainment including two Frisbee shows, police K9 and agility demonstrations, a live band and a variety of exhibits, kids activities and food vendors.
Though it’s been two years, Mr. Leibowitz can still recall when he and his wife Donna Leibowitz took the plunge and bought the former blueberry farm.
”We were at a point in life where it was either we do it or say we should have done it — so we decided to do it,” said Mr. Leibowitz.
And they did it big. Since opening, The Green Leaf has become something of a Ritz Carlton for canines of all breeds and sizes. It’s freshly scented and spotless facility includes a spacious play arena, a built-in doggie pool, a spa and grooming room and around-the-clock highly trained caretakers and dieticians to cater to pooches either boarding overnight or staying for doggie daycare.
Plus, there are the training programs. Whether they are going into the police force, about to compete in an international competition or have obedience problems, The Green Leaf offers training for all needs.
On any given day, one could find about 150 dogs at the facility ranging in size from 2 pounds all the way up to 204 pounds.
By offering top notch services and a highly skilled staff, the Leibowitzs not only wanted to give back to the ever faithfuls with their unconditional love, but give their owners confidence and peace of mind that their pets are in good hands.
”We wanted to become the home away from home for dogs. It’s designed to be a home — not like an old kennel,” explained Ms. Leibowitz. “It’s hard work, but the end result is you have a dog you can hug, which is nice.”
Ms. Leibowitz also owed a large chunk of The Green Leaf’s success to her husband’s magic way with dogs. Though one might guess from his office walls, which are lined with awards and plaques, Mr. Leibowitz is somewhat of a dog whisperer.
”There’s just some magic communicated between him and dogs that you can’t really create; he’s just a wonderful teacher,” explained Ms. Leibowitz. “Once he walked into a room full of barking dogs and everything went silent because of his aura and talent.”
Aura or not, Mr. Leibowitz still wakes up everyday and is excited to go to work.
”The best part is I love what I’m doing and that’s never stopped,” he added. “I love it just as much today as I did when I first started.”